With seven weeks of SEC football in the books, Alabama and Texas A&M have risen to the top, as Georgia and LSU headline the teams who have fallen short of expectations. Tennessee has provided storylines with miraculous comebacks, and the firing of Les Miles sent shockwaves through the conference.
Per usual, plenty of things haven't gone as expected this season in the SEC, and there is still plenty of time for everything to change. However, let's take a look at what players have been stealing the show in the conference this season and could be on their way to some hardware in December. Here are the top candidates for the SEC's top three awards.
Offensive Player of the Year
Oklahoma transfer quarterback Trevor Knight has regained his 2014 form in leading Texas A&M to a 6-0 start. Knight has led the Aggies to wins over UCLA, Arkansas and Tennessee while scoring 18 total touchdowns on the season. With a strong backfield, Knight has the Texas A&M offense rolling, as the Aggies are putting up over 40 points per game. Knight will face a tough Alabama defense Saturday, which should prove how legitimate his candidacy is.
Defensive Player of the Year
The Aggies have some defensive standouts as well, but Tennessee's Derek Barnett has separated himself from the pack. In Tennessee's miraculous 5-2 start, Barnett has registered six sacks, which ties him for second in the SEC, in addition to forcing two fumbles and coming up with an interception. Barnett anchors the Volunteer defense that allows just over 11 points per game in the second half, even after allowing 28 against Alabama after the break last week. With a weak schedule for the remainder of the season, Barnett should be able to improve on his already impressive statistics to wrap up the award.
SEC Coach of the Year
Nick Saban and Kevin Sumlin are the obvious choices here, as they're leading undefeated teams, but Gus Malzahn's Auburn team has exceeded expectations after posting just a 2-6 conference record in 2015. The Tigers beat LSU into firing Les Miles and defeated Mississippi State handily. Their losses came by six points to Clemson and 13 to a Texas A&M team that is well-deserving of its top 10 ranking, if not higher. The Auburn defense has been stellar, allowing more than 19 points just once this season for an average of just 16 points allowed per game. Malzahn might be coaching for his job in the next two weeks as the Tigers take on Arkansas and Ole Miss, but all indications point to an Auburn turnaround.